The paintings and sculptures in PROSPECTOR, inspired by geological and gemmological formations, remind us of the strange and sublime beauty of nature. Gemstones, as coveted objects, present a complicated relationship between the natural world and us; As we hunt, collect and refine them, they become instilled with human values. In this body of work, Sara Pearson deconstructs and reinterprets their forms, removing facets and breaking stones into abstract shards, highlighting internal depths and building new structure. By pulling apart our vision of the perfect gem, she removes preconceived notions attached to it and focuses us on its extraordinariness. Pearson navigates this course through her early relationship to these materials; Growing up in her father’s jewellery studio instilled a sense of wonder in the presence of these otherworldly objects. She continues to live in awe of them, relating her art practice to that of an explorer, a treasure hunter.

Pearson chooses subjects and materials for their relationship to the natural world, using the optical phenomena that exist within cut gemstones to inspire her oil paintings; bronze, copper, marble, and terra-skin paper made from stone are some of the materials that form her sculptures and installations. Working primarily with “analogue” methods, she plays with the dichotomy of traditional process in an increasingly digital world, pushing abstraction while honouring the process of mimesis.

Sara Pearson is a Toronto based artist who graduated with a BFA from the Ontario College of Art and Design University.